Deep under the bookstore in Driscoll South, around a dark corner from the Pioneer ID office, lies DU’s career services office, which may be the most underutilized yet extremely useful free service on campus. The office’s free services include help on resumes, advice on how to apply for jobs and how to interview and even leads to jobs available that are seeking applicants. Students should take advantage of this great resource to help advance their career and investigate their professional interests.
We all attend a great college like DU because we want to learn. Presumably, we all also want to have a career after graduation to use this knowledge to change the world … and maybe pay back our student loans too. The Career Center is the best resource we have on campus to help us reach this goal as undergraduates. It is also completely free, which is always a plus.
What can the Career Center do for you? Even though the office is not visited by nearly as many students as it could be, chances are you know at least a few people who have gone in for help writing or fixing their resume. Whether you have yet to start organizing your thoughts or want to put on the finishing touches before sending it to your dream employer, their resume help services are invaluable.
The Career Center also offers far more than one-time resume help. Developing a relationship with a specific career counselor will help them help you. Conversations about your past experience and future goals will ensure that you are in their mind when opportunities come across their desk. They can also help you develop a better understanding of what employers are looking for and what skills might give you a leg on other applicants given your career desires.
Regular emails from the Career Center that are updated with internship and entry-level job postings are another added plus. Even when life happens and you are not able to make as much progress as you hope, the emails provide a consistent reminder of what is currently out there in case something fits you.
Although they only happen once each quarter in the Gates Fieldhouse, the career fairs are another opportunity you should take advantage of. Getting an idea of who is hiring in your field and what positions they are hiring for is useful information as you continue your studies or start looking into a long-term position.
Given that all these services are completely free, there is no good reason not to give them a try and get ahead of the curve. It is far too easy to push it on the back burner for the first two years, go abroad and then have senior year upon you before you start investigating post-graduation plans. So do yourself a favor and get a head start: You will get a better idea of what you want or need to study and impress your parents by taking initiative. Make an appointment before this year ends to get yourself oriented and get ahead before next year begins.
